I do own a Mosin 91/30 sniper, and like to collect old military guns. I realize they have a place and purpose. Ive never been wowed by the gun, and dont see why people go buy a bushel of them... Is it just its a cheap gun with cheap ammo? Most of 'em look like they were chiseled out of a block of metal...

I really dont like the bolt design, out of all the mil-surps ive shot it seems to be the hardest to work and has the most awkward safety. I hear how bad a Arisaka safety is, but its way better than the Mosin. Most other actions ive shot it seems the "work" is split, (Extracts shell, then, chamber and cock on closing) Where as the Mosin the "work" is done all at once..(Extract and cock on opening, then, chamber) Im not saying that it is, but the bolt and action doesnt look as strong as other mil-surps, (no 3rd safety lug, top strap over the bolt)

Im not trying to bash the Mosin...... Like I said I have one, love it, and would never sell it, but I wouldnt go buy 3 more either.... Id rather use the money and buy a nicer old mil-surp...

Just curious whats all the hubbub's all about......

__________________

Quote:

...... I suffer from a very rare genetic defect that causes me to be sympathetic toward the International cause. There is no cure.

i have two, 91/30, and a m44. and i love em. but thats all i would buy. except maybe the sniper version if it was cheap enough. its great because its fun to fire. the recoil, muzzle flash. cheap ammo and cheap gun all combine to make it wonderful

__________________I have been a silent witness
to all of America's finest hours.
But my finest hour comes
when I am torn into strips and used as bandages
for my wounded comrades on the battlefield,
When I fly at half-mast to honor my soldiers,
Or when I lie in the trembling arms
of a grieving mother
at the graveside of her fallen son.

It's mainly due to the price tag of both the rifles and the ammunition. Another factor is just personal preferance. What's attractive to me about the Mosin is the price of both the ammunition and rifle, but also I just in general like Russian firearms. I too like all types of firearms and military firearms in particular, but the Russians in my opinion make really rugged, reliable, and strong firearms. Don't get me wrong I like other firearms like the Mauser, Lee Enfield, and Garand to name a few, but I would like them more if ammunition was more available and cheaper than it is.

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"It's a gun you loaded on Sunday, and shot all week."
-Confederate Soldier

Ditto on all these reasons. No it aint nothing special. but its cheap, good, relatively accurate, and cheap to shoot.

For the hardcore collectors, there are so many different variations that it's almost like putting together a puzzle. Just these variations alone, one of each specimen would constitute an entire firearms collection.

All of the reasons above are good enough to own a 91/30 or two. I, on the other hand am one of the folks the OP was asking about, I have more than a couple of dozen of 'em.

I am a life-long student of history, and especially the history of WWII. The ability to own a part of that history is amazing to me. The Soviets were always short on firearms, among other things, so that when you hold one of these guns, you are holding a rifle that may have been used in Stalingrad, or the battle of Kursk, or shot at Germans in Berlin. Any Mosin Nagant, dated 1944 or earlier has a very high percentage chance of being a vet.

With the Mosin Nagant rifles there are a lot of angles you can persue in collecting them. Some folks only collect the ones used by the Finns. Some folks will only seek the ones made in the Tula Arsenal, etc. For a working man with a limited toy budget, these are a great rifles.

I would really like to have an extensive collection of American WWII firearms, but the cost is prohibitive to me.

Collecting, in itself, is an odd habit. Any object you can think of, someone will collect. (For my wife, it is colbalt blue glass) Last year while picking through an antique store, I looked at a condom collection. No joke. At least they were all NIB.

Let me know if you see a good deal on a Mosin, I am looking for a '37 Izhevsk, MO marked.

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"It is better to be too skeptical then too credulous"

I do own a Mosin 91/30 sniper, and like to collect old military guns. I realize they have a place and purpose. Ive never been wowed by the gun, and dont see why people go buy a bushel of them... Is it just its a cheap gun with cheap ammo? Most of 'em look like they were chiseled out of a block of metal...

I really dont like the bolt design, out of all the mil-surps ive shot it seems to be the hardest to work and has the most awkward safety. I hear how bad a Arisaka safety is, but its way better than the Mosin. Most other actions ive shot it seems the "work" is split, (Extracts shell, then, chamber and cock on closing) Where as the Mosin the "work" is done all at once..(Extract and cock on opening, then, chamber) Im not saying that it is, but the bolt and action doesnt look as strong as other mil-surps, (no 3rd safety lug, top strap over the bolt)

Im not trying to bash the Mosin...... Like I said I have one, love it, and would never sell it, but I wouldnt go buy 3 more either.... Id rather use the money and buy a nicer old mil-surp...